Games of God and Men

Driven to distraction keeping control of twin twelve-year-old daughters, Surchatain Ares welcomes the services of a jester at the palace of Westford. Upon finding himself a celebrity and a confidant of the Surchatain, the jester attempts to discredit his main rival for Ares' attention: the Surchataine Nicole. In countering the jester's attack, Nicole turns to the superior gamesmanship of the beautiful, heartless Chataine Renée, who plays her part with such skill that the jester becomes a pawn in a power struggle between two provinces. However, the game is altered by the unexpected entrance of another player-Renée's younger brother Henry. Exiled for his faithfulness, struggling with the apparent capriciousness of God, Henry makes the move that determines the game's outcome. Games of God and Men is the sixth book of the Latter Annals of Lystra, which begin with Nicole of Prie Mer. Book Seven in the series is In Extremis.